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wbur

@wbur

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The radio, but make it Instagram. We cover the news in Greater Boston.

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Two new contenders have joined the ranks for world’s loudest bird: the bare-throated bellbird and the red-legged seriema.⁠
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Researchers have long studied the pitch and rhythm of bird vocalizations, but technology now allows the measurement of volume. While a Ph.D. student at UMass Amherst, João Menezes and his advisor managed to record the volume of 123 bird species across Western Massachusetts and Brazil, many for the first time. The range was staggering: an 800-fold difference between the softest species, a kind of hummingbird, all the way up to a very loud trio of species that were "comparable to the level of a jackhammer," Menezes says.⁠
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Larger species and those with wider mouth openings tend to sing louder, but it’s still not clear what’s driving all the variety.⁠
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Find “NPR News Now” wherever you listen to podcasts.⁠
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Host: Korva Coleman/NPR⁠
Reporter: Ari Daniel/NPR⁠
Producer: Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR by @wbur

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At City Line Laundromat in East Somerville, patrons can not only do their laundry — they can also browse some art.

Cambridge photographer Mario Quiroz is displaying his photographs of student life at Somerville’s only dual language program, Unidos. The English and Spanish program takes place at East Somerville Community School, where Quiroz is also a pre-K educator.

You can see the photographs at City Line through Oct. 15 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.

📝🎥 Artemisia Luk/WBUR taken in East Somerville by @wbur

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Have you ever wanted to try a deep fried PB&J Uncrustable and use two of them as cheeseburger buns? What about a sushi push pop? You can get these and more at the Big E in West Springfield, which runs until Oct. 4. Arts contributor @onlysolon took a ramble through some of the food options this year, heroically trying a variety of foods on a stick in the name of journalism. His advice? Get there early and split food with friends — you can try more things if you're only having a few bites of each!

P.S. Planning to go the weekend of the big storm? Be sure to check the Big E's website before you head out.

📝🎥 Solon Kelleher/WBUR by @wbur

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In this age of uncertainty, and not infrequent despair, Cognoscenti asked readers and listeners to send us a list of their little joys. We’re happy to share them here. To me, they read like poems. — Cloe Axelson, Cog's senior editor by @wbur

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Question 5 on this year's ballot deals with money: specifically, whether or not to change an obscure state law called Chapter 62F that can give residents tax rebates.

If Question 5 passes, it would tweak Chapter 62F to eliminate a loophole in the formula that permits the state to exclude some of its income from its total revenue count. Supporters of the question say it would lead to more rebates.

But opponents say those dollars have to come from somewhere, and a change in the law will lead to education and public safety funding cuts. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

📝 Gintautas Dumcius/WBUR
🎥 Meghan B. Kelly/WBUR and Hadley Green for WBUR by @wbur

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Forget Cape Cod. These sharks like to summer in Quincy.

Boston Harbor was once one of the dirtiest ports in America. But decades of cleanup have turned it into an ecological haven for species like the sand tiger shark.

Every summer for nearly a decade, scientists with the New England Aquarium have caught and tagged these sharks just off Wollaston Beach to collect data on their movements. And, as it turns out, the same sand tigers come back year after year until they reach adulthood.

With the info they collect, scientists hope to better understand why the sharks are here, where they go and what it means for them with a rapidly warming North Atlantic.

🦈 Tap the link in our bio for more.

📝: Amanda Beland/WBUR
🎥: Katie Cole/WBUR by @wbur

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What's faster: You running 🏃‍♀️🏃or Boston's Green Line? 🚋

That's what 750 Boston runners put to the test last Friday night. This annual six-mile unsanctioned race follows the Green Line's B branch from Boston College to Park Street. Many came out to see if they could beat the T. Others did it for a fun Boston running event.

Here's how it went down. You can read the full story at the link in our bio.

📝🎥 Kevin Vu/WBUR by @wbur

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12 days ago

In the @wbur podcast "Beyond All Repair: The Clancy Trial," longtime reporter Deborah Becker talks about covering the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Duxbury woman charged with murdering her three children. The case drew unprecedented attention to the Plymouth courthouse this summer and blew up online, where conspiracy theories ran rampant. Deb breaks down how she covered the trial and what responsible journalism looks like in this environment.

"Beyond All Repair: The Clancy Trial" is now available wherever you get your podcasts, or you can check out the link in our bio. by @wbur

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Southborough parents Joseph and Arlene Kutzko went on a Fox News podcast this week calling for the return of their teenager and a stop to their gender transition. They claim the child was taken away to aid that process. But court records paint a different picture. They show that the child was removed from the home after an alleged violent incident in January 2025. Scroll through, or tap the link in our bio for more.

📝 Martha Bebinger/WBUR and Ally Jarmanning/WBUR

Court documents from Westborough District Court by @wbur

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15 days ago

Tove Lo. Carly Rae Jepsen. Beabadoobee. Host Stephen Thompson breaks down the best albums out Friday, Sept. 18 with DJs from around the NPR Music network: Robert Moore from 90.9 The Bridge in Kansas City, Amelia Mason from WBUR in Boston, and Brian Burns from WUNC in Chapel Hill.⁠
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Plus, a handful of of NPR Music writers and critics offer their personal picks in the lightning round.⁠
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🎧 Listen to the episode at the link in bio. by @wbur

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Should Massachusetts' public records law expand to cover the governor's office and the state Legislature? That's Question 1 on the ballot this fall. Massachusetts currently largely exempts the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judiciary branch from its public records law, which isn't the case in many other states.

Proponents of Question 1 argue it's important for the public to be able to access these records and that the state deserves open government. Opponents say the release of many types of those records could create serious privacy risks. Voters will get to weigh in on Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

📝 Gintautas Dumcius/WBUR
🎥 Meghan B. Kelly/WBUR and Hadley Green for WBUR by @wbur

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